Album Review

Jody Sandhaus has a pure, sweet, full and strong voice that is well-suited to interpreting jazz standards. She always swings; her subtle improvising makes her interpretations seem personal and she knows how to tell a story. On this CD she is backed by a very supportive trio that includes her husband pianist Pete Malinverni. None of the songs have been overplayed through the years but, even if they were warhorses, these renditions are fresh. Highlights include "'Deed I Do," "Whatever Lola Wants," "I Like the Sunrise," the obscure "Relax" and "Love Look Away" but all 12 selections are enjoyable.

Biography

Born: April 29, 1965 in Houston, TX

Genre: Jazz

Years Active: '90s, '00s

Based in New York City much of her life, Jody Sandhaus was a tasteful jazz vocalist with cabaret and traditional pop influences. Sandhaus was not the type of singer who goes out of her way to be abstract, complicated, or cerebral; her approach was quite accessible and straightforward, and her influences included Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Irene Kral, Maxine Sullivan, and Anita O'Day (among others). Sandhaus tended to pay a lot of attention to the Tin Pan Alley songbook, but unlike...